


kureha

by whiteautumn



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/F, F/M, Historical Inaccuracy, In which Aizen isn't an arse, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Meiji/Taisho-era AU, he's a smug bastard but he's not an arse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14238846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteautumn/pseuds/whiteautumn
Summary: In Taisho-era Japan, two teenagers struggle against forces that threatens their very lives. It's difficult to live when you're not supposed to exist. Things get complicated when their existences are revealed and their paths cross.For Ichigo, this was about revenge. For Uryuu, he just wanted his last few months of his existence to be meaningful.





	kureha

**Author's Note:**

> _kureha - red leaf_  
>  as in the kanji for kurenai (紅) + ha (葉) compounded together (a kun'yomi + an on'yomi) into a rare reading of momiji's (紅葉) kanji. 
> 
> I don't even know if I'm going to continue this - heck Idek where this came from. I just really wanted an AiIchi Taisho AU and then because it's Bleach so I must introduce the supernatural no matter what. Hm.
> 
> Or maybe I should stop procrastinating and study for my finals BECAUSE FINALS.
> 
> I claim creative licence so not everything will be historically accurate - but everything that I mean to be historically accurate, I do fact check.  
> Some changes: The Tokugawa shogunate never took power after Sengoku, the Gotei was founded instead and the Emperor became a figurehead. Meiji Restoration never occured.

_Tokyo, Japan  
_ _1909_

He awoke to a soft, rustling sound coming from beyond the doors.

Groaning softly, he blinked open his eyes to face the ceiling, dotted with swaying shadow patterns from the trees outside, wincing at the ache that assaulted his head. Deep breaths, he reminded himself, slowly matching his breathing rhythm to the expansion and contraction of his lungs and diaphragm, feeling much better when the pain began to fade. 

“You’re awake.”  

Ishida Uryuu turned to look at his father, who sat in a chair next to his bed, having commandeered Uryuu’s table and was looking through several documents under the soft, orange candle light.

It wasn’t like they couldn’t produce light sources with their abilities – he just knew Ryuuken hated their arts enough to choose to rely on more conventional means. 

“How long was I out for? What happened?” The last thing he remembered was practicing in the library of their _yashiki_ , training his Blut Vene ability, when a sudden wave of dizziness had hit, and he felt there was something in him that was threatening to rip its way out, before blacking out into blissful oblivion.

The older man merely took one look at him and turned back to what he had laid out on Uryuu’s table. The blue-haired teen frowned, his father was cold, but this was not a usual reaction. Narrowing his eyes, he stepped off his bed gingerly, wincing at the slight disorientation he felt as he stood and made his way to his desk, peering over Ryuuken’s shoulders.

“Are these mom’s autopsy reports?” Uryuu hissed, turning an accusatory look towards his father, who again simply looked up at him and sighed.

“Sudden lightheadedness, followed by unconsciousness and a sudden implode then exploding of reiryoku.” The white-haired male listed off the symptoms one by one, not noticing his son’s rapidly paling expression. “These are all signs that tell me that you’ve been subjected to the Auswählen.” He commented lightly, and if Uryuu had been himself, he would’ve noticed that there was a worried frown on Ryuuken’s face.

All Uryuu could comprehend, though, was on the Auswählen. His father had told him, about Yhwach, and about what really happened with his mother ten years ago. His throat felt tight, and he took a deep breath, before asking his father in a shaky voice.

“You mean, I’m going to die?”

 

* * *

 

 _Karakura Town, Japan  
_ _1909_

It was raining again.

There was nothing more he dreaded than this particular natural process. Scowling, he stood up and slammed the door shut, making his way back into his futon and closing his eyes again.

_“Ichigo, run!”_

Hissing, he shut his eyes tighter, as if the act of tightening his muscles could get rid of the sadness that came flooding in. It was just his luck that everyone – or rather, his partner, really – was out tonight, the brunet having to run for some emergency in the Gotei. Bottom line is, he wouldn’t be back for a while.

This was literally the worst time for the other to be gone. Rains were not common in this season, and Ichigo should, by all rational standards, be over his mother’s death from ten years back.

But it’s a June rain, which made it particularly difficult.

He hated this vulnerable part of himself, but he really wished his other half was with him right now. Not that he’d admit it out loud to the other, smug bastard he is.

“My, my, Ichigo, if you wanted me here you just had to call.” The smooth voice cut sharply through the rustling of trees outside, and the orange-haired teen gave an undignified yelp, throwing off his futon covers and turning to glare at the owner of the voice.

Aizen Sousuke stood at the entrance of their shared bedroom – he hadn’t even heard the other come in, what the hell? – an amused smile plastered on his face. Ichigo noted the black-framed spectacles and the loose hairstyle – so the bastard was going that route today, huh. 

“You wound me, Ichigo. The Gotei knows me as a gentle and kind intellectual, so I have to look the part.”

“Stop reading my mind, bastard.” His voice held no real venom, but rather the pout of a petulant child. Aizen’s expression softened as he took off his glasses and brushed his hair back with a sigh of relief.

“You’re back early.” Ichigo remarked, watching the brunet shrug off his haori and place his beloved sword – Kyouka Suigetsu – down beside his end of the futon. There was an uncharacteristic tightness in his face that sent Ichigo on the alert – that, and the fact that the older male hadn’t tried to tease him any further. 

Sousuke would tell him, Ichigo could tell – the brunet was wondering how he should breach the topic. He didn’t have to tap into their link or his abilities to read the other. Contrary to popular belief, once you got to know Aizen Sousuke – his true self, anyway – the brunet was especially easy to read.

The wait was driving Ichigo on edge. He was about to demand the brunet to speak but Sousuke cut him off. 

“Yhwach has been revived, Ichigo.”

 

* * *

 

The Gotei Thirteen was an organization that was founded in 1573, at the end of the Sengoku period, serving the Emperor of Japan. Its current head, Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni – a ruthless samurai back in his day – was also its founding head, the use of magic had kept his life force burning for more than four hundred years since his own birth.

In this world, people with abilities often lived extremely long lives, and most of them end up joining the Gotei or any one of its affiliated organisations, bringing a higher amount of prestige for the servants of the Emperor.

The Gotei was split into thirteen divisions, each with their own jurisdiction of daily duties in the operation of the country, and the cleansing of demons and spirits. Under the Gotei’s efforts and Yamamoto’s leadership, Japan became one of the leading powers by the early 20th century, with technological advancements from outside furthering the country’s ambitions even more.

No one really talked about this, but everyone knew the real power lied with the Gotei, and not the Emperor, who was just a sad figurehead. It has been ages since anyone’s seen the Emperor out in the open, even – so long that people have begun to forget what he looked like.

What the public does remember, however, was the massacre of 1899. A group of rebel ability users – drastically different from the users they were familiar with who used swords, they used bows and arrows and called themselves Quincies – had successfully invaded the organisation’s headquarters Seireitei in Tokyo and left behind carnage and destruction in the city.

Their rebellion had been ended prematurely by Yamamoto himself cutting down Yhwach, the opposing leader.

That was what the public had been told, anyway.

What they didn’t know was that Yhwach had not been killed, but the Quincies had withdrawn from battle by his orders halfway through the invasion. It had left the users under Gotei baffled, but Yamamoto had not been fooled.

He had failed to cut down Yhwach completely during his battle with him three hundred years prior, and the incident was merely a repeat of history.

“Well,” Sousuke commented lightly as he held Ichigo in his arms, “That’s what he says anyway.” The orange-haired boy scowled, “Yamamoto-jiisan couldn’t cut him down.” 

“Exactly, Yhwach is the father of all Quincies, and he can extract life force from the people he has given part of his power to extend his own.” The brunet sounded intrigued, “It’s a curious method that even normal human users are unable achieve.” Ichigo snorted.

“And you?” Sousuke shrugged, a lift of his free shoulder.

“It is interesting intellectually, but I have no use for it.” The younger boy rolled his eyes. 

“Ah, yes, that’s because you’re already immortal. Yes, yes I get it.” He deadpanned, sticking his tongue out when his lover flicked his forehead lightly for his cheek. 

“You, too, my dear strawberry.”

“Don’t call me that.” A pause, “And you know that’s not completely true.”

“Mm,” The brunet agreed, deep in thought. Ichigo was right, however – the unique abilities of his lover depended on the delicate balance of opposing life forces that he has within him. Yhwach was a huge threat to one of them – and Sousuke could not let that pass.

He could care less about the Gotei, he could care even less about this country – Yamamoto was silly enough to wage war against Yhwach three hundred years ago, that was no issue of his – but he did care about Ichigo.

Yhwach was a threat, he was also a formidable opponent. One that Sousuke would need a careful plan in order to defeat. 

Preferable without the Gotei realising just what he was. Or them finding out about Ichigo. 

“Well,” The teen released himself from his embrace gently, stretching lightly and falling back into the warm cuddle of the futon blankets, “We can think about Yhwach tomorrow. I really want my rest now, and you must be tired from the travel from Tokyo.” Sousuke rolled his eyes – Ichigo really underestimated him sometimes.

“Don’t give me that look, Mr. High-and-Mighty. You might not be tired, but I still am.” Ichigo glared lightly, gesturing for his partner to lie down. Sousuke chuckled, shaking his head and watching Ichigo until the teen’s breathing evened out into a deep sleep.

The Gotei can’t find out about Ichigo – Yhwach can’t find out about Ichigo. He was going to make sure they didn’t.

 

* * *

 

_“Who are you?” A pair of soft brown eyes blinked up at him, their rims red and slightly swollen from crying. Probably for the woman who was lying beside him. His mother, perhaps? They shared the same hair colour, a rare shade of orange._

_“I’m Aizen Sousuke.” He was surprised that this child was the person to awaken him from his slumber, however._

_“Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo.” Aizen generally possessed a huge dislike for humans, but there was something about the reiryoku of this boy, if he was able to awaken him of all people at such a young age…_

_“Well, Ichigo-kun, would you like to form a contract with me?”_

_Gin would probably laugh for days once he finds out._

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to guess what Aizen is because I don't know (I know, I'm the authoress and I don't know lmao). I have an idea, but it's not final *shrugs*. 
> 
> If I do plan to continue this though, it'll take a while because I have no actual plans for this at all aha.


End file.
